International Expansion Readiness Checklist

Our U.S. business is profitable, with a repeatable sales process that runs without extraordinary effort.

We have secured enough funding to support a meaningful international launch, including senior hires in-market and external services.

Our leadership team has depth. We have talent capable of leading cross-functional efforts abroad.

The CEO / Investor treats global expansion as a personal, long-term priority.

Global growth is a standing topic in internal meetings.

International leaders are given titles and authority that reflect their importance.

We have the skills and knowledge needed for international success.

We can align international market opportunities with our existing capabilities.

We can adapt marketing and brand messages to target markets, and we are open to cultural differences.

We can deal with uncertainty and pursue strategic goals beyond short-term profit.

We remain committed to global growth even in the face of setbacks.

There is clear, proven demand for our product in the target market.

We have quantified the total addressable market, and it could potentially deliver 25–35% of global revenue within five years.

The target market has a strong base of potential customers and revenue opportunity.

We are already seeing signs of traction, such as inbound leads or local traffic.

Our product integrates well with local systems and platforms, is sufficiently localized, and fits local needs.

We understand and have planned for cultural differences that could affect adoption.

We understand and have planned for regulatory and political differences.

We have a clear strategy for GDPR compliance and cross-border data transfers (e.g., via DPF certification).

We have assessed geographic barriers such as distance, logistics, and communication.

We have assessed economic factors such as local economic stability, cost structures, and resource availability.

We have a detailed research plan, covering market, competition, product fit, regulations, operations, budget, and staffing.

Our product is ready for launch with minimal localization and is expected to perform well locally.

We have a clear international market entry strategy that accounts for local differences in buyer behavior, regulations and competitive dynamics.

Our budget plan is based on a detailed and diligent evaluation of the expansion cost, including localization, regulatory compliance, market-specific marketing, and customer support infrastructure.

Our budget covers both the initial launch and potential accelerated investment if early results are strong.

We have clear customer and revenue targets for 3, 6, and 12 months, aligned with our board.

We have chosen a small, high-performing launch team to set culture and momentum.

We have a defined launch strategy (soft or big bang) and potential launch partners.

Our long-term plan includes senior leadership presence in the market to ensure sustained success.